Posts Tagged ‘Latvia’
Silent animated film lands Latvia its first Oscar
A wordless animated film from Latvia made using open-source software beat out some of the biggest names in Hollywood on Sunday, as the county won it first-ever Oscar, drawing attention to its film industry.
Flow, made using Blender, a free graphics software tool, cost $3.4 million (€3.2 million) to produce. The favourite to win as best animated feature during the 97th Academy Awards, was The Wild Robot, produced by the Dreamworks studio and costing $78 million to make.
The film is described as a parable that uses the story of a black cat, a dog, a capybara, a ring-tailed lemur and a secretary bird trying to survive a catastrophic flood to show how humans can overcome their differences and work together.
The film is the second second animated film directed by Gints Zilbalodis, but with Flow, he appears to have hit his artistic stride.
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“I think you can express a lot more without words. Some of these emotions and ideas I couldn’t articulate with words but with music, sound, movement and editing, I can say a lot more,” he said. “Those are my favourite kinds of films and favourite scenes and are very cinematic and transcend cultural boundaries.”
The Estonian Defence Industry Cluster today introduced the Baltic Drone Wall concept for the first time
The Estonian Defence Industry Cluster today introduced the Baltic Drone Wall concept for the first time, which aims to strengthen the eastern border of the European Union and NATO. It is a cooperation initiative between Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which is currently joined by DefSecIntel Solutions, Rantelon, Marduk Technologies, Lendurai, Hevi Optronics, Frankenburg Technologies and TELEKONTA.
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Originally published on 28 Feb
Read MoreIgnitis ON network to install 500 charging points with the help of EUR 16 million EU financial support
In the coming years Ignitis ON, the leading EV fast-charging network, will become even larger and more convenient for EV drivers. The European Union (EU) made a decision to allocate EUR 16 million for the charging network’s expansion. The grant will help fund the installation of 500 new charging points. It is the largest-ever allocated sum to a charging network operator in the Baltics.
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Originally published on 27 Feb
Read MoreRestoring Mobility Opportunities in the Border Region: The ROCC Project Takes the Next Step
In the Estonian-Latvian border region, public transport services that once provided convenient travel options for residents of both countries have been absent for several decades. The ROCC project, supported by the Interreg Estonia-Latvia Programme 2021-2027, is now approaching a significant milestone—the launch of two pilot bus routes. The Valga-Valka and Ikla-Ainaži (Salacgrīva) bus lines are expected to begin operating in the spring of 2025, offering new mobility opportunities for border residents and travelers alike.
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Originally published on 25 Feb
Read MoreModular unmanned ground platforms created in Latvia start operating in Ukraine
A new solution has emerged in Latvia’s defence technology sector: the unmanned ground platform developed by the Latvian startup Natrix is a universal, modular solution that can be adapted for various applications. Currently, the Natrix platform’s primary tasks are delivering ammunition and food to the frontline and on the return journey evacuating the wounded and deceased, thus significantly reducing the risk of casualties for rescuers who previously had to evacuate the injured manually.
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Originally published on 25 Feb
Read MoreFrom Tallinn to Warsaw: Rail Baltica’s progress in Poland strengthens high-speed connectivity across Europe
In the Rail Baltica project, envisioned as a seamless corridor stretching from Warsaw to Tallinn, Poland plays a crucial role as a strategic partner, serving as the gateway connecting Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia with the broader European rail network. While work on Rail Baltica has been progressing in all three Baltic countries, with 43% of the mainline expected to be construction-ready and actively under development by the end of this year, the Polish section has also experienced continuous development for several years.
Rail Baltica team recently conducted a visit to Poland to assess modernization efforts and observe the progress of the railway line that will connect Poland to the Lithuanian border.
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Originally published on 24 Feb
Read MoreThe Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, together with partners from four countries, will implement the “AGRI-BIOCIRCULAR-HUB” project
LIAA will carry out the project “Agri-Biocircular-Hub: Center of Excellence for Smart Agriculture and Circular Bioeconomy Towards a Sustainable Agri-Food Sector in Enlargement Countries.” The project will be implemented over a four-year period, from 2025 to 2029. LIAA’s 2023-2029 strategy focuses on fostering knowledge-intensive business, export growth, and investment attraction, with an emphasis on smart specialization strategy (RIS3) areas.
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Originally published on 21 Feb
Read MoreInvalda INVL Group raises the largest PE fund in the Baltics exceeding target at first close reaching EUR 305 million
Invalda INVL Group today announces that it has successfully completed a first closing of its second-generation private equity fund (“INVL Private Equity Fund II”), reaching EUR 305 million and exceeding its target of EUR 250 million. The INVL Private Equity Fund II has received strong backing from both existing and new investors, forming an exceptional investor base. This includes some of the most successful entrepreneurs from across the Baltics, family offices and institutional investors such as the European Investment Fund, pensions funds managed by Luminor asset management companies, SB Asset Management and IPAS INVL Asset Management in Latvia, as well as life insurance company UAB SB Draudimas. Fundraising will continue to reach a hard cap of EUR 400 million.
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Originally published on 17 Feb
Read MoreLand surveying, safety monitoring and 5G network – exploring the potential of drone operations
On the 12th of February, Vidzeme Planning Region organized a seminar “Drone Data Collection and Processing – use cases in Latvia” in Valmiermuiža as part of the “Smart Skies” project, bringing together 50 participants from Latvia and Estonia. The seminar program was designed to introduce the current examples of drone use in Latvian municipalities, as well as share the experience of leading companies in Latvia. Large enterprises, such as LMT and Latvian State Forests have already taken great strides in the application and development of unmanned aviation solutions.
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Originally published on 14 Feb
Read MoreRB Rail submits new funding application under the CEF-Digital program
RB Rail AS, representing the three Baltic states’ ministries responsible for the Rail Baltica project, submitted a funding application on 13 February 2025 under the CEF-Digital program “5G Large-Scale Pilots – 5G Coverage Along Transport Corridors”. The application seeks financial support to design and build railway radio communication infrastructure that complies with the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) and provides the opportunity to enable 5G connectivity within the European Transport Network (TEN-T).
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Originally published on 14 Feb
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